100 Species Challenge

Specimen #3 Giant Puff Ball
Calvatia gigantea

This photo was taken at Browns Woods during November, so it is a little hard to see the puffball. If you go earlier, the puffballs contrast with the ground in a striking white. I like this photo because you can see the size of the puffball compared to "G's" head. In fact, that is why he is in the picture -- "I think that mushroom is bigger than your head! Go over there and let's see!" He was almost 9 years old at the time. You be the judge of the size.

GAIN Academy and I first saw these at Southwoods Park. We returned with Mr. GAIN so he could see them. The hillside looked like a home for lost soccer balls. In fact, the first one I saw was isolated near a path, and I really thought it was a soccer ball.

The photo you see here was taken while in pursuit of Browns Woods HX, a geocache that has been archived permanently. This particular cache was great because it led you off the main trails. There are a total of six geocaches in the park, including GC18Y16 Have You Lost Your Marbles? and GC190B8 Tri Rido. My early geocaching thoughts were, "I've been hiking all these years, passing caches right and left, and didn't even know it!"